


Get Up for the Light

by Miraphina Atherton (mew_tsubaki)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Gen, Padma-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 16:23:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12084768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mew_tsubaki/pseuds/Miraphina%20Atherton
Summary: In all of us, there is the drive to keep going, to keep moving no matter what. Despite all Padma's seen, she marches forward. But why does she, and what motivates her? *Vignettes; partially AU.





	Get Up for the Light

**Author's Note:**

> Note: This was done for the 2010 forum-wide competition in the HPFC. The Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not to me.
> 
> House: Slytherin
> 
> Week: Five (fifth challenge)
> 
> Challenge: Inspirational fic for a character or pairing using lyrics or a quote. Chosen: Option A (character-centric) with the chorus from "The Creationist" by Kerli:
> 
> "Life is my creation, it's my best friend  
> Imagination—it's my defense  
> And I'll keep walking when skies are gray  
> Whatever happens was meant that way"

_i._

_**Life is my creation, it's my best friend** _

Things had a tendency to be iffy whenever Padma and Parvati went anywhere near Pansy Parkinson. Yet the twins' parents insisted on good relations with other pureblood families. It wasn't that the Patils hated Muggles or Muggle-born magic folk, but there was a certain peace to uphold with fellow pureblood families if the Patils were to retain their reputation.

But here Padma was, Parvati by her side and Pansy standing across from them. All three had their heads bowed over the poor creature in the Patils' front yard.

"Ugh, it's wiggling around!" Pansy moaned as she scrunched up her nose.

"What do you expect it to do? It's in pain," Parvati retorted, sending Pansy a look.

"It's disgusting, that's what it is," the brunette girl stated. She straightened up, and the twins followed suit. Pansy crossed her arms and sneered at the mangled form of the beetle. "It's missing a wing and a half."

"We could help it," Padma suggested. "I mean, we all got our letters the other day. Hogwarts letters prove that we're witches. Maybe we can heal it, you know, with a simple spell. I'm sure Mother and Father have books we could use, Parvati."

Parvati looked doubtful. " _You_ want to go through their libraries? I thought you were the smart one, Pad. To get expelled before we even go…" She thought for a moment. "Well, we wouldn't. They wouldn't expel us. But let me handle getting into the ro—"

Parvati stopped and Padma gasped when, with a sickening crunch, Pansy solved the problem by squashing the blue–black beetle. When she removed her foot, she smirked. "There. That's my answer."

Padma grimaced, not at all liking what had just happened. "That was wrong, Pansy," she said quietly, her lower lip trembling. It wasn't the first time they'd seen a lack of compassion on Pansy's part. It wasn't the first time they'd wished for companions other than this cruel and insufferable girl.

But Padma hoped. She knew things would change at Hogwarts. And there, she'd be able to save all the metaphorical beetles from people like Pansy…she just wasn't expecting there would be anyone worse than that pug-face.

_ii._

_**Imagination—it's my defense** _

Third year, Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Remus Lupin presiding. Lupin had everyone lining up to practice magic against boggarts.

Padma…didn't like this task very much. Not only did some people have terrifying boggarts, but this was also an invasion of privacy. Everyone could see everyone else's deepest, darkest fears, and Padma knew she'd just have to trust her classmates not to use her boggart against her.

Banshees, spiders, disembodied hands, Snape. They were all frightening things. It was only a matter of moments before Padma walked to the front of the line and came face-to-face with hers: a giant cobra.

It scared her severely, but she steeled herself with her sister behind her and managed the Riddikulus spell, changing the snake into a jack-in-the-box. Once she saw her boggart become the toy, her fear just seemed small. As she walked to the back of the classroom with Parvati, she laughed that she'd been able to come up with something far from the horror of that supersized snake.

Yes, Padma would use that creativity and fast-thinking to move forward. Her fear wouldn't hinder her. And, if her worst fear couldn't stop her, nothing could.

_iii._

_**And I'll keep walking when skies are gray** _

There were many things worse than Pansy. There were many things worse than boggarts.

Padma was sure her boggart wasn't a giant cobra anymore.

Dumbledore. _Dumbledore_. How could this have happened? Dumbledore, _gone_? He… He was _Dumbledore_ , for Merlin's sake! He was practically invincible! Sure, he was modest, and he never claimed to be the most powerful wizard around, but Padma and her peers had always seen him that way.

Now they knew they were wrong. Dumbledore was gone, felled by the hand of their very own Potions professor.

The end of sixth year was a blurry, gray flurry of activity. Somehow, Padma finished. She soon found herself leaving the funeral of the former headmaster. Padma was glad she and Parvati would head straight home with their parents; the Ravenclaw wasn't sure she could talk with her roommates Lisa, Mandy, Su, and Morag at the moment. Tensions were high, and no one was truly in the discussing mood.

With whispered memories of the D.A. between her and Parvati, Padma picked up her head and focused on the year to come. She and Parvati were convinced that Harry and his friends would come through and clear away all this darkness. After all, why else would Harry have survived You-Know-Who once if he wasn't meant to once more?

"We'll be just like them," Padma told her sister when that obscure autumn came and they journeyed to Hogwarts one last time on the train. Padma felt that her words could give her all the confidence needed.

"We can try," Parvati stated. The two of them stared out the window. Even though a heavy feeling settled over them as the castle came into view, Padma's mind churned with ideas. Depending on what the situation was, she would have an idea, somehow, to make it through. She always did. Her and Parvati. They'd always make it through. Always.

_iv._

_**Whatever happens was meant that way** _

A little bit, just a little, Padma wanted to forsake hope and give in to the pain of despair.

She couldn't be here, not with the other heroes of the war. It had been five years since Harry had succeeded against Voldemort. Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione… They'd invited several of their close friends from their not-so-old Hogwarts days to a small memorial service that was followed by a kind of… _reunion_. A reunion was the best word of which Padma could think, though it was nowhere near appropriate. Many of them—herself included—didn't want to reunite so soon. The wounds were still so new.

But her parents had encouraged her. "Enjoy some time with your friends," Father had said with a small smile.

"You need to get out of the house, dear," Mother had stated. "Your training for the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad is too time-consuming. Take a break, Padma."

Her parents hadn't needed to voice their concerns. She'd been telling herself the same things, but she'd had a hard time following her own advice.

"You all right?" a voice asked now, spooking her just a bit.

Padma flinched, splashing some of her water on the ground. The party really should've been moved inside by now; it was getting dark and late, and the Moon wasn't any kind of sufficient light source. But at least she wasn't creating much of a mess inside the Weasley family's house.

"Sorry," George mumbled. "I was just wondering how you're doing."

The Indian woman pursed her lips. "…how do you do it?"

"Move on?"

She nodded.

George grinned weakly. "You don't. It'll hurt like a bitch probably forever. And, when it's done hurting, it'll scar."

Though she thought she'd pushed the emotions down, Padma could feel her eyes getting wet. "But no one has to see the scar."

The Weasley twin grimaced and scratched his head, looking to the side. Padma followed his gaze and saw Angelina Johnson smile meekly and wave to him. "Sometimes," George drawled, "you should find one person to show the scar. It helps it to heal."

"I'm not half of a whole anymore," Padma retorted.

"Neither am I. But Parvati and Fred are gone." George smiled gently. "I like just to remember my brother as he was: a wizard, a joker, and the best bloody mate a person could have."

Seeing and hearing his strength, Padma found a little courage herself and thought back on all the good times with her twin. A few even made her smile. Eventually, she nodded to George. "…thank you."

He left with a tiny nod, and Padma pushed herself to mingle with the others after. As she shared memories of her sister ("Remember, Lavender, when the two of you were enamored with the centaur Divination professor, Firenze?" "Were not!" "Were, too. I have Parvati's parchment doodles to prove it."), Padma found her smile grew more and more. Maybe George was right, and she had to live focusing on the good parts.

And, just like old times, she'd hold her head up and hope for what was to come. The darkness was behind them; that was why they were celebrating, even. So she'd move on, if not for herself then definitely for her sister.

Padma thumbed at the base of her throat her "P" pendant, another thing that had once been half of a set. But when she cried this time, she cried happy tears, telling herself she hadn't once been half of a set.

She still _was_ half of a set.

**Author's Note:**

> The Patil twins are some of my favorite characters, and I like that I've had the chance to write more for them. Though this piece was sad, it's more of an encouraging work. I did this for "Hope," in my Pandora's Little Box of Terrors challenge, as well, and it's the theme that links these little vignettes together. I hope you enjoyed it, and please review!
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please review!
> 
> -mew-tsubaki :3
> 
> Thanks to papa mew for looking this over for me. ;)
> 
> 2017 note: I find that my hearts just…aches, rereading this 7yo fic. ;w; I've killed off some other charries since this fic, but this one hurts a lot since I rly do love the Patil twins. Dx It's nice sometimes, tho, to write what makes you sad. :') Also interesting to note the passing implication that the Patils are pureblood… I think I wrote that at the time just to better help explain why they might mingle with Pansy. :L


End file.
